8 Creative Ways To Use "The Gender Card" In Conversation As A Positive (Which, Duh, It Is)

The Clinton campaign is becoming increasingly transparent as the Democratic frontrunner continues to speak with reporters and voters on the campaign trail. On Monday, Hillary Clinton addressed the "gender card" during a Facebook Q&A and decided to repurpose the term as a positive, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell definitely didn't mean to use it as such. The Q&A covered a variety of personal and political issues, between Clinton noting, "I never met a pantsuit I didn't love" and discussing her plan to equip all U.S. police officers with body cameras.

Wow. If that’s what he said, Mitch McConnell really doesn’t get it. There is a gender card being played in this campaign. It’s played every time Republicans vote against giving women equal pay, deny families access to affordable child care or family leave, refuse to let women make decisions about their health or have access to free contraception. These aren’t just women’s issues, they are economic issues that drive growth and affect all Americans. Anyone who doesn’t get that doesn’t understand what our lives are like.

In one quick-thinking response, Clinton turned the "gender card" into a positive, setting Twitter alight with the phrase. And hey, you can, too! Here are eight ways you can use the gender card in conversation to mean a positive thing:

As A Demand For Your Rights

If someone accuses you of playing the gender card, you can reword Clinton's tweet: "Well, I play the gender card because I don't think I should have to choose between taking care of my family and getting a paycheck."

As A Gamble

If you're a poker player, you can try, "I play the gender card because I'm all in for equality, and not content to be considered second to men."

As A Way To Unlock Women's Potential

Playing the gender card doesn't have to mean that someone is relying on her gender. Try, "I want to play the gender card because men like Mitch McConnell have no idea what it's like to face gender discrimination or the burdens society puts on women."

As A Checklist

You can talk about the gender card as if it's a report card that America is failing. As in, "The gender card is a reminder that we still need fair pay, fair scheduling, and paid sick days. It's not a way for me to feel sorry for myself."

As A Way To Argue For The Minimum Wage

The minimum wage debate is an issue that affects women especially because so many single mothers are below the poverty line. If you're an advocate for the minimum wage, you can shut down haters with, "I'll do whatever I have to — even play the gender card — because I want working-class women to make more than $8 an hour for the rest of their lives."

As A Way To Support Other Women

You can have a ready retort to someone spewing ignorance about your favorite female politician with the gender card. For instance, "She's playing the gender card because she cares about victims of sex crimes, not because reelection is coming around."

As A Way To Get What's Fair

A card that gave women discounts to account for the pay gap would be nice. However, it would probably be simpler to just pay them the same as men. I think I'll try, "I play the gender card because I have to work twice as hard as my male counterparts to get ahead."

As A Reason For Fair Pay

"I wouldn't need a gender card if our country had fair pay, and I'll keep using it because I don't believe men are inherently better workers," could be a good one. The fact that women don't get paid as much for equal work is a real reason to use your gender card. Clinton's reclamation of this phrase might be a powerful tool for women to seize their rights.